China’s Forced Labor Servicing Western Companies

China’s Forced Labor Servicing Western Companies?

 

“Last night, Canada’s CBC aired an expose VIDEO HERE  on Chinese Laogai forced labor product imports to the Canadian construction company Inland Screw Piling. To watch the segment, click here. The segment featured Laogai Research Foundation’s (LRF) latest report “Building on the Backs of Prisoners: Examining the Imports of a Canadian Construction Company,” being released today on LRF’s website. “Building on the Backs of Prisoners” highlights the trade of over US$300,000 worth of goods between Inland Screw Piling in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada and a Laogai forced labor prison camp in Henan Province, China. LRF also uncovered the sales contract between Inland Screw Piling and the Laogai enterprise signed by Inland Screw Piling President and Sales Manager, Harry Knelson.
Additionally, LRF, under the guise of a made-up business, acquired a sales contract to import over US$140,000 of goods to the U.S. from the same Chinese Laogai forced labor prison enterprise. As these two instances demonstrate, it is not only possible for Chinese forced labor prison products to be imported to North America, but it is in fact quite easy to import Laogai products. The import of Laogai products occurs in violation of Chinese export regulations, Canadian import regulations, and U.S. tariff law. Laogai survivor and LRF executive director Harry Wu said of the situation, “This case is merely an example of the continuous stream of Laogai products into North America. We cannot forget that the prisoners making these products are forced to do so and that many of them are just like Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo: political prisoners.” Wu continued, “When President Obama and Hu Jintao sit down next week to talk economic policy and human rights, Obama would be remiss not to condemn China’s export of Laogai products to the United States.” Furthermore, “The importation of Laogai products to the U.S. undermines our economy and our position as a world leader in human rights.”